The flat, bland bowling conditions offered by Pakistan pitches will be an opportunity for the Proteas bowlers to show their class, left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj said on Wednesday. Maharaj was speaking to the media ahead of their opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy against Afghanistan on Friday.
The 34-year-old acknowledged that it’s a tough bowling wicket, adding that adapting to the situation and finding the right pace will be an important task for their bowling attack. Maharaj has played Test cricket on the subcontinent, but this will be his first time in a big ODI competition.
“I think it's about changing the pace. You still want to try spinning the ball because the more revolutions it does create on the dip and drift on the ball. For me, it's about trying to play with the overspin and the side spin and seeing which one gets a better reaction. But it's more the paces that you bowl at so that the batsman can’t really line you up in terms of using their feet or getting them caught in the crease,” Maharaj said.
From the warm-up matches and tri-series games so far, Pakistan appeared to favour the batters, leaving a monumental task ahead for the Proteas bowling line-up. What adds more fuel to the fire is the injuries that have sidelined a number of Proteas fast bowlers, putting more pressure on the current attack.
“In cricket, I think everyone wants to see runs on the board and that really tests the skill of the bowler. As a bowler, I am going to be biased and say we want wickets that only score 250 because it gives us more of a chance. But I think it's a wonderful opportunity to see the class within the bowling line-up and sort of defend these scores,” Maharaj remarked.
“Guys are chasing down 320 in the 45th and 46th over, so I think it's a brilliant advert. It's a nice test. As cricketers, if you are not tested in your chosen skill, then you are not going to challenge yourself to get better. If the bowler does come out on top or on the right side of things, it shows his class and worth within the team and world line-up,” Maharaj concluded.